An engrossing film that uses amazing visual effects, tense action and a good story to (possibly) end this rebooted franchise and point in the direction of the original movie. Like the previous films, the special effects here are almost flawless. Aside from a few odd shots and some of the action sequences, the apes look completely realistic. Their faces show so much emotion that you feel like you’re watching real beings. There isn’t much voice work, so facial expressions and body language have to tell the story and it works. The story itself is relatively simple, but the nuances and parallels between the two species make it engaging. There’s not a lot of action, but it’s pretty epic at times, especially with an amazing score by Michael Giacchino. There are a few moments that drag in the middle portion of the film, but an injection of comedy and heart suck you back into the story. Things wrap up nicely in the end, and there are a lot of really cool nods to how the series would eventually lead into where the original “Planet of the Apes” begins.
***1/2 out of *****